WSWSBy Patrick O’Connor, Socialist Equality Party candidate for Grayndler11 October 2007Use this version to print Send this link by email Email the author

The protracted conflict between the Solomon Islands and Australian governments escalated earlier this month when the Pacific country’s foreign minister Patteson Oti denounced Australia’s “occupation” before the UN General Assembly. Oti’s strident speech marked a significant ramping up of the increasingly hostile exchanges between the two countries.

Tensions have been building for more than a year, as the Australian government of Prime Minister John Howard has attempted to destabilise and overthrow the Solomons’ administration led by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Oti’s characterisation of Australia’s presence in the Solomons as an occupation force is entirely accurate. In 2003, more than 2,000 soldiers and police were deployed under the banner of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Scores of Australian bureaucrats, legal officials, and other personnel effectively took control of the country’s state apparatus, including its police, prisons, judicial system, public service, and finance department.

The neo-colonial operation is of indefinite duration and the Howard government has made clear that it will brook no interference from the Solomon Islands’ government. Responding to Oti’s speech, Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer accused the Sogavare government of trying to destroy RAMSI. The media has effectively buried the story, while the Labor Party and the Greens have kept their mouths tightly shut.

This silence—after a senior representative of a neighbouring government has issued an extraordinary denunciation of Australia’s intervention into the region before a major forum of world leaders—provides a revealing demonstration of the support extended to the Howard government’s Solomons operation by the entire political and media establishment.

The drive to forcibly assert Canberra’s direct control, in violation of international law and the democratic right of ordinary Pacific Islanders to determine their own future, will be one of the great unmentionables in the upcoming election campaign. Irrespective of which party wins office, the filthy manoeuvres and dirty tricks that have characterised the Howard government’s operations in the region will continue unabated.

On October 1, Oti addressed the UN General Assembly, declaring that “our sovereign right to determine the terms on which the government of Solomon Islands will permit our continued occupation by the visiting contingent cannot be undermined by any member of the United Nations.” He continued, “however dressed and rationalised, intervention and occupation allow ‘assisting’ nations to spend and earn substantial revenue for their supporting businesses and industries. Mine is too nationalistic a government to become captive to the fortunes which justify our perpetual retention under siege.”

Sogavare and his supporters represent a layer of the Solomons’elite which, while having no principled opposition to the Howard government’s intervention, is seeking to manoeuvre between rival powers and pressure Canberra to recast RAMSI’s mission on a new basis more favourable to its interests. After coming to power in May last year, the Sogavare government attempted to reduce RAMSI’s control over the country’s finance department and end its effective veto over public spending. The prime minister has repeatedly insisted that he is not seeking to expel RAMSI and that he wants an accommodation with the Howard government.

Oti’s speech before the UN included an appeal for the international body to act as a counterweight to Canberra. Greater UN involvement, however, would alter nothing. In East Timor, to take just one example, the international body has rubber-stamped the Australian-dominated intervention force and said nothing as Canberra conspired to oust the Fretilin government of Mari Alkatiri.

The Solomons’ government nevertheless hopes to win support from other powers to pressure the Howard government. So far, Canberra has refused to compromise. Sogavare and his senior ministers have been targeted, along with attorney-general Julian Moti, who is still being pursued on a trumped up extradition request relating to statutory rape allegations that were thrown out of a Vanuatu court in 1999. On August 4 the Sogavare government formally rejected the extradition request, describing the attempted prosecution as “nothing more than a political witchhunt”.

The Howard government’s effort to politically destroy Moti has been especially driven by its determination to derail a Commission of Inquiry into the causes of the April 2006 riots, which destroyed much of the Solomons’ capital, Honiara. Substantial evidence indicates that RAMSI police and troops were deliberately stood down to facilitate the destruction triggered by widely anticipated post-election unrest.

Foreign Minister Oti referred to Canberra’s efforts to halt the inquiry in his UN address, noting that the investigation “finally became functional this year after the failure of externally-orchestrated manoeuvres to derail it”. He insisted that “my government is determined to delve deeper into the historic causes of the friction between our peoples”.

Solomons’ parliament prepares RAMSI review

The Solomons operation forms the lynchpin of Canberra’s strategic ambitions in the South Pacific. Great power rivalries are intensifying as Beijing’s economic and diplomatic influence increases. The Howard government’s expenditure of more than one billion dollars on RAMSI since 2003 is regarded as a critical long-term investment, with the operation hailed as a model for potential takeovers of other Pacific states. A setback would have far reaching consequences.

The Howard government is particularly concerned by the Solomons’ parliament August 26 decision to review the 2003 Facilitation of International Assistance Act. It drafted this legislation and forced its ratification ahead of the initial intervention. The Facilitation Act grants Australian personnel sweeping powers, including complete immunity from local law and exemption from all immigration and visa controls. It also exempts foreign corporations connected to RAMSI from many business registration and tax obligations.

Attorney-general Moti drew up a memorandum detailing the dubious character of the Facilitation Act in relation to both international law and the Solomon Islands constitution. Moti noted that the so-called regional assistance mission, RAMSI, is not even mentioned in the Act. This leaves unclear the “precise nature of its legal personality”. The Act similarly includes no reference to the Pacific Islands Forum or any other regional or international organisation, making a mockery of the Howard government’s efforts to cloak its takeover as a multilateral and regional operation.

Moti also raised a number of questions regarding Section 24 of the Facilitation Act, which prevents the Solomons parliament from passing subsequent legislation “amending or repealing, or otherwise altering the effect or operation of, this Act or subsidiary legislation made under this Act”. This proviso, which contradicts long established constitutional and parliamentary norms, was meant to ensure that the parliament remained a toothless facade for the Australian occupying authorities.

RAMSI chief Tim George last month called a press conference in Honiara to denounce the pending review. Without attempting any specific rebuttal of Moti’s legal analysis of the Facilitation Act, George described the attorney-general’s memorandum as “a very flawed and muddled document” which “reveals a negative mindset towards RAMSI”.

George’s outburst underscores Canberra’s entrenched opposition to any modification of the terms of the operation. The insistence that Australian police, soldiers, and bureaucrats remain unaccountable and above the law exposes the fraudulent character of the Howard government’s claims that RAMSI is a “humanitarian” operation. RAMSI wants legal immunity to allow it to operate without restraint in defence of Australian corporate interests. It will certainly ferociously repress any oppositional movement that develops within the local population.

The Solomons remains among the most impoverished countries in the world. Virtually no Australian aid money has been spent on health and education, while the presence of hundreds of highly paid RAMSI personnel has inflated rental rates and other costs of living. Amid growing resentment and frustration, particularly among unemployed youth living in Honiara’s squatter settlements, a social time bomb is ticking.

The Howard government continues to insist that RAMSI enjoys the support of the vast majority, and has effectively claimed the right to disregard the Solomons parliament and government on the basis of a popular “mandate”. A RAMSI-sponsored survey released last month purported to show that 90 percent of the population supported RAMSI’s presence and a majority thought that communal violence would re-emerge if foreign forces were forced out.

Predictably, Downer and George seized upon the conveniently-timed release of the survey findings and claimed vindication.

Serious questions have been raised, however, about the survey. Finance Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged secret payment of $SI100,000 ($A16,000) to statisticians in the finance and treasury ministry, who used publicly owned resources and information for the RAMSI survey. “These officials are paid salaries to work for government,” Lilo declared. “They are supposed to safeguard our national intelligence information and not sell it for their private gain.... This is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what else is going on in this country without our knowledge or approval?”

Statement by the Leader of the FRETILIN Parliamentary Group, Aniceto Guterres, on the debate and Vote on General Budget of the State for the period 1 July to 31 December 2007, on 8 October 2007.

People of Timor-Leste

The debate in the specificity which we have all witnessed in this national Parliament over the last days in this National Parliament has continued to arouse concerns in our FRETILIN Group with respect to the proposed General Budget of the State for the period 1 July to 31 December 2007, and with respect to which all of us parliamentarians are about to undertake a final and global vote on.

I would like to restate to everyone that the concerns expressed by us in our FRETILIN Group’s political declaration yesterday (7 October 2007) remain valid to us and are maintained by us, with the exception of our statements relating to the issue of the veterans and the illegality of the Secretary of State for the “Autonomous Region of Oecusse”.

Still a big concern for us is the budget allocation for the establishment of a Task Force to Combat Poverty in the Office of The President of the Republic, a budget for which there has been neither any explanation nor justification given to us. None of us know for what purpose it is proposed to spend this money. Is it perhaps simply for distribution to the poor? If so, is this the effective means of combating poverty? Or will it simply create dependency which will forever impede people from rising out of poverty? Perhaps it will be for holding Open Presidency meetings over the next two months?

The government as the executive has the primary responsibility to combat poverty through its development program. Although the President of the Republic has a political responsibility to involve himself with this issue as with many others, because we have not been provided with any justification on the proposal, we can only say that it seems to us to simply be a proposal for a slush fund for arbitrary expenditure. This would result in the Presidency acting in a manner which would not be in keeping with the principles of transparency and accountability.

We were extremely saddened by the parliament’s decision to authorise the government to transfer USD$40 million from the Petroleum Fund, disregarding the procedures established in the Petroleum Fund law to obtain prior approval from the Independent Petroleum Fund Consultative Council. This has resulted in a negative precedent for Timor-Leste which had previously been widely internationally recognised for its strong commitment to the fundamental principles of transparency and accountability in the management of the people’s petroleum revenues.

This has also illustrated that this de facto government has no commitment to “reform or change” as they had previously widely proclaimed during the election campaign.

We all acknowledge that the issue of the internally displaced persons in our country is an extremely urgent and important issue for us all. In the past all political parties who are now represented in this parliament promised to resolve the issue of the displaced persons in the “short term” and criticised the previous FRETILIN for not having done so. They thought they could perform miracles. Now they are telling us we have to be realistic, and have allocated a meagre USD$2 million towards assistance for displaced persons, for such things as purchasing of new tents for them. It is clear that people who have already been living under tents for a long time now will have to continue to live under tents.

Our proposals for additional funding to provide assistance for and attempt to resolve the issue urgently was defeated by the de facto government and their proxies in the parliament.

On one hand they are saying that there is an existing lack of capacity to execute such a large amount on displaced persons in such a short period of time, but on the other hand we see them proposing to spend a very large amount of money on goods and services, even though they do not have a plan for its execution. From this we can clearly already see that they lack honesty, they do not have a moral conscience, they have already lost their sensitivity to these people who are undergoing hardship in our country.

They have shown they do not serious on the issue of the displaced persons because they have failed to give them due importance in this budget.

Due to all of these concerns the FRETILIN Parliamentary Group opposes this law on the General Budget of the State.

Lastly, we hold grave concerns as to how they will execute such a large budget in such a short period of time involving an unduly large amount of money, even though it will simply involve spending. The FRETILIN Parliamentary group strongly doubts this Government’s capacity to execute this budget. As this de facto Government says it can execute all of it, and are rejecting the need to reduce the large amount allocated to goods and services, we will expect there to be no “carryovers”, as they demonised the previous FRETILIN government for having previously done. Otherwise, we will expect that we will all turn out to in fact be “devils” and in doing so illustrating this de facto government’s in capacity to govern, and that in accordance with what His Excellency Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão said: “Whoever steals even a quarter (25 cents), out! Whoever cannot do his job, out! Whoever does not know how to govern, out!!”

FRETILIN will expect this de facto government to comply with its promise in this regard, in January 2008.

"UNMIT assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the articles or for the accuracy of their translations. The selection of the articles and their content do not indicate support or endorsement by UNMIT express or implied whatsoever. UNMIT shall not be responsible for any consequence resulting from the publication of, or from the reliance on, such articles and translations."

National Media Reports

Government Should Reduce Poverty

The Parliamentary Majority Alliance led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao needs to work hard to reduce the poverty in this newborn country.

“Approving the transitional budget of $116 million USD is a good sign that the Government is trying to reduce the number of people in poverty, which is currently increasing”, said Ricardo Cardoso, as chairman of Trade, Commerce and Industry body of Timor-Leste. (STL)

Church Considers That Life Pensions Enrich Only Ex-High Level Officers

The Church Peace and Justice Commission member, Fr. Natalino Maia da Costa, said that by approving life pensions for the ex-President, Members of Parliament and the Government, the National Parliament members have shown that they only look after themselves and not the poor people living in misery. (STL)

FRETILIN Anticipate Election

Fretilin Party Secretary General, Mr. Mari Alkatiri, said that he has no doubt that the current government will collapse in the next two years. Mr. Alkatiri stated that another election could happen because the government will not carry out its program to restore people’s lives with the huge sum of money totalling $116.409 million USD. (STL)

FRETILIN Worried about Government Transitional Budget

FRETILIN National Parliament spokesperson, Mr. Aniceto Guterres, declared that the transitional budget for the period between 1 July and 31 December 2007 is bigger than the government can execute in the short term.

“The Government have said that they have no capacity to spend large amounts of money in the short-term, yet they have allocated a lot of money to big goods and services without a plan to use it,” said Mr. Aniceto. (DN)

The Chief of the National Parliament, Mr. Fernando “Lasama” de Araujo, said that the transitional budget reflects people’s needs because the government is being transparent.

“I believe that the Government will respond to people’s needs in the short-term by spending the transitional budget properly”, said Mr. Fernando “Lasama”.

UNPOL Responsible for 25 May 2006 Crisis

Inocencio da Costa Maria, the PNTL logistics director, told a judge in court that UNPOL is responsible for the F-FDTL firing on them on 25 May 2006 because an UNPOL officer told him that UNPOL had coordinated with the F-FDTL, will escort the PNTL officers to Obrigado Barracks, and will not be responsible if any PNTL stay in the PNTL headquarters. (DN)

Maria Domingas Alves: Budget is $2 million USD for IDPs

The Minister of Social Solidarity, Ms. Maria Domingas Alves said that the Government will devote 2 million dollars to Internally Displaced People for two months.

The Government, through the Ministry of Social Solidarity, took the initiative to invite other organizations including the United Nations agencies in Timor-Leste to discuss mechanisms to bring internally displaced people home. (TP)

Buying New Tents Does Not Mean Refugees Are Staying Permanently

The Minister of Social Solidarity, Ms. Maria Domingas Alves, said that government also will buy new tents to replace the current ones provided by IOM last year.

“The Government will provide new tents in anticipation of the upcoming raining season, it does not mean refugees may stay permanently, using these tents,” says Ms. Maria. (TP)

National Parliament Has No Obligation to Consult with the Petroleum Fund Consultative Counsel

The Chief of Commission C on Finance Economy and Anti Corruption affairs, Mr. Manuel Tilman, stated that according to the Constitution, Parliament has no obligation to consult with the Petroleum Fund Consultative Counsel while defining the budget from the fund.(TP)

This is a broadcast of the UN Police in Timor-Leste to provide you with information about the security situation around the country.

The security situation in Timor-Leste has been generally calm.

Earlier today in Dili, UNPol attended five incidents, including a report of a stabbing in Tasi Tolu. The victim sustained an injury to his right shoulder, and has identified the suspect to police, who are investigating the incident.

Dili remained calm on Tuesday. One person was arrested in relation to a rock throwing incident.

On Tuesday in Ainaro, a PNTL officer discovered an unexploded grenade near his house whilst working in a field. The area was cordoned off, and the grenade has been recovered.

On Tuesday in Bobonaro, the PNTL handed over two suspects in their custody to the Indonesian authorities. The suspects are wanted in connection with several criminal cases in West Timor.

On Tuesday in Maumeta, Liquica, a 47-year-old man set on fire two bales of clothing at the market after the owner of the clothes refused to pay him protection money. Police arrested the man, who was found to be in possession of a knife and a sling-shot.

The Police advise to avoid travelling during the night to the most affected areas. Please report any suspicious activities. You can call 112 or 7230365 to contact the police 24 hours a day, seven days a week.